This invention relates generally to the creation of potable water from ambient air. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus and method for extracting potable drinking water from moisture-laden atmospheric air at atmospheric temperature.
Potable water is a scarce or non-existent resource in many areas of the globe. Indeed, as the global population increases, the need for greater amounts of potable water will correspondingly increase.
The lack of potable water is a serious health concern. While the situation is bad in parts of the United States, it is worse in many other countries. There have been numerous instances where people have died or become ill because of water contamination and water-borne diseases. While xe2x80x9cbottled waterxe2x80x9d is often thought as uncontaminated, there is an increasing awareness it may be no safer than municipally treated water.
Some people feel protected by household-type water filters. However, only a few of the many types of filters now being sold to the public for additional treating of city water remove significant amounts of parasites, viruses, bacteria, pesticides, heavy metals, and other contaminants.
There have been many techniques proposed to provide potable water for drinking and similar purposes. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,675,442, 4,204,956, 5,106,512, 5,149,446, 5,227,053, 5,259,203, 5,301,516, 5,517,829, 5,553,459, 5,669,221, and 5,845,504, (including documents cited therein), the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Many of such techniques, however, proved to be very expensive or inefficient, especially to recover water from ambient air at low temperatures and/or low humidities.
The present invention provides a system for recovering potable water from the water vapor in ambient air at a wide range of temperature and humidity conditions. The system is especially adapt at operating efficiently at low temperatures and/or low humidities. The system is able to operate efficiently at low temperatures and/or low humidities by employing a mechanism that utilizes the buildup of frozen water on the surfaces used to condense the water vapor from ambient air.
The present invention includes a water collection apparatus having a housing with at least one inlet and at least one outlet, means for flowing air into the housing through the at least one inlet and flowing air out of the housing through the at least one outlet, means for cooling the ambient air to condense the water vapor contained therein, means for collecting and means for storing the condensed water, means for purifying the condensed water, and means for increasing the amount of water vapor condensed from the ambient air at a low temperature or a low humidity. The at least one inlet may be an air filter and the air flowing means may be a fan. The cooling means may be at least one compressor, at least one evaporator coil, and at least one condenser coil all being in fluid communication via a refrigerant fluid. The purifying means may be a first means, such as at least one carbon filter, for removing particulate contaminants and second means, such as an ultraviolet light assembly, for removing biological contaminants. The means for increasing the amount of water vapor condensed enhances the build-up of frozen water on the at least one evaporator coil by regulating the operation of the at least one compressor by using, for example, a timer which cycles the frequency and interval of operation of the at least one compressor. The at least one compressor may be located proximate the ambient air which has been cooled by the cooling means.
The present invention also includes a method of using a water collection apparatus by providing a housing having at least one inlet and at least one outlet, providing means for flowing air into the housing through the at least one inlet and flowing air out of the housing through the at least one outlet, providing means for cooling the ambient air to condense the water vapor contained therein, providing means for collecting and means for storing the condensed water, providing means for purifying the condensed water, providing means for increasing the amount of water vapor condensed from the ambient air at a low temperature or a low humidity, and operating the apparatus to condense water vapor from ambient air.
The present invention also includes a method for collecting water from ambient air by providing a source of ambient air, condensing water vapor in the ambient air by cooling said air, collecting and storing the condensed water, purifying the condensed water, and increasing the build-up of frozen condensed water occurring when the ambient air is at a low temperature, a low humidity, or both. The ambient air can be cooled by contact with a surface maintained at a temperature lower than the ambient air, such as a part of at least one evaporator coil containing a refrigerant fluid. The at least one evaporator coil can be in fluid communication with at least one compressor and at least one condenser coil. The build-up of frozen water on the at least one evaporator coil can be increased by regulating the operation of the compressor via cycling the compressor on and off for a desired frequency and interval. The cooled ambient air can be contacted with the compressor.